


Come rest your bones next to me (and toss all your thoughts to the sea)

by hi_short_for_hello



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Title: Under The Sea, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, BAMF Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Everyone Gets A Hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, Feral Nicky, Fluff and Angst, I wrote most of this on a caffeine rush so, M/M, Nicky is in the iron maiden, Protective Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Top Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Waving to canon as we pass it by, am I funny yet?, as a treat, bc nicky- no? ok, fluff I said FLUFF MOTHERFUCKERS, haha get it?, hair washing as a love language, have fun reading, it might be chaos, might add a little smut, what a wild ride, whats the point of tagging if I don't make a pun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:55:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25853212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hi_short_for_hello/pseuds/hi_short_for_hello
Summary: Nicolo knew water, water and iron. The pressure was the worst, his lungs burned with water intake but that feeling had numbed over the years. The pressure built and built. It pushed him down into the unforgiving metal he was trapped in with no chance for rest.AU where Nicky is put in the coffin, not Quyhn
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 18
Kudos: 277





	1. Chapter 1

Nile woke up with a scream tearing at her throat, she could still feel the pressure of the ocean closing in as she lived in quick moments before succumbing to death, over and over and over again. Quynh startled awake quickly and offered her a concerned glance before looking around to check in with the others. Andy reached out and patted her shoulder, seemingly both wide awake and dead on her feet at the same time; Booker hardly moved and rolled over to try and get more sleep.

“Sorry, bad dream,” Nile said, trying to let everyone get some more sleep, she wouldn’t be able to get a wink after her nightmare.

“What happened?” Quynh asked, not unkindly. Andy leaned against her side to prop herself up, looking like she was also worried but two seconds away from passing out.

“There was a, a coffin at the bottom of the sea and this, this man dying and praying and dying again and again without stop or respite. It was horrific, I couldn’t make out what he was saying but it didn’t sound like English,” Nile said with a shudder, glossy eyes failing to notice the sorrowful look passed between Quynh and Andy and the way Booker gave her an understanding glance.

“It was most likely Italian or Arabic,” A voice said from the door. “Nicolo, his name is Nicolo and he’s been chained in the waves for 500 hundred years. His eyes light up when a kid asks to be held by him and he always made food to give to those who had little to none. His sword hushed anyone who tried to harm the defenseless or innocent and even then, it was almost always quick and painless. His smile was the brightest thing in the universe and his eyes were like the sparkling Grecian sea,” The shadowed figure stated as he stepped into the moonlight. He was dressed in dark clothing and his eyes held a sorrow she never wanted to know. Andy and Quynh were up in an instant to hug the man.

“Joe, it’s good to see you, it’s been too long,” Andy said with a sad smile as Quynh hugged him tighter before letting go. “Let me make you some coffee.”

Andy left to the kitchen to make said coffee and Quynh followed a step behind.

“Joe,” Booker acknowledged with a nod before he followed the women. The new man, Joe, turned to her with an intense gaze.

“You are new, hello,” He gave her a then-and-gone smile, “What is your name?”

“I-uh I’m Nile,” She said, not knowing what else to say.

“Welcome to the team, Nile. Help an old man out, would you? Were there any clues about  _ where _ in the ocean he was, any type of aquatic life that might narrow my search?” He asked with a resigned hope in his voice, that Nile immediately decided  _ should not be there _ .

“Not that I could tell but there was a lot of kelp near, so probably in cold and near-ish a coast,” She gave with a sad smile, wishing she could tell him more.

“Grazie, caro. That narrows down my search to the European coast, near England or Spain, I would guess,” He gave her a quick kiss to the forehead, looking giddy with excitement. She was glad to see anything other than heartbreak on his face. “Nicolo will love you, he has always loved people who help others, he has a soft spot for the kind of heart, you know,” He stated as he helped her up and to the kitchen. A soft smile adorned his face for a few precious moments before it slid off and he got down to business. 

“So, what’s so important that you asked me to come?” Joe asked as he sipped his coffee, offering a nod of thanks when it was refilled.

“Guy named Copley is trying to capture us to study, most likely, we don’t know quite what to expect but he has hired men, well trained but not much for us. Mostly just a lot of bodies to tire us out before they grab us. We think he’s working for someone else but we don’t know who and we need all the help we can get.” Andy said, sounding tired and leaning over her coffee like it would give her the answers to her problems, her coffee did not answer her questions so she tossed it back like a shot.

“Ah, well I’m here now, what is your plan to take him down?”

* * *

Nicolo knew water, water and iron. The pressure was the worst, his lungs burned with water intake but that feeling had numbed over the years. The pressure built and built. It pushed him down into the unforgiving metal he was trapped in with no chance for rest. Death only wore him out. It brought momentary rest but sleep was hard to come by while drowning, Nicolo had learned. 

Nicolo knew water, but in between death and drowning, he drifted with the current. The dreams came then, he couldn’t tell you when the first one happened but they kept coming after that. A man, blond and in pain, speaking a version of French he did not know while crying into a bottle. The man was found by Andromache and Quynh, but where was his darling, where was his Yusuf? The only tether to sanity was that his dear was not the one under the waves, but what if he was, what if he had been thrown in after Nicolo? 

A scream, a death, adrift.

Then, a flash,  _ Yusuf _ . He was wet, he was safe, he was  _ searching _ . Nicolo cried himself to death after that dream. The thought that his love was  _ so close _ and yet still far away, that he had been searching this whole time was bittersweet. He had never doubted that Yusuf would come for him but how much time had passed that he could have been doing other things, helping others. Death seemed a blessing after those thoughts.

After the dream of his Yusuf, Nicolo redoubled his attempts to escape, if he could make the search any easier, he would. He clawed at metal, pawing at the seams where metal kissed metal. Tiny cracks had appeared under the pressure and Nicolo died many times to widen the slivers of hope in his tomb. 

He counted the time in prayers and deaths. He prayed to his beloved, hopeful mantras in Arabic that they would meet again, worried tunes in Genoese about Yusuf’s health, mournful Italian psalms about what they had lost. Anything he could quantify as time passing. He weakened the metal as much as he could. If dying sapped his energy, the thought of Yusuf invigorated it.

Time passed, flashes of the blond and his sisters flittered by, a fleeting image of his love before he disappeared into the ocean to search anew. Flashes of how the world had changed, those he understood vaguely. He knew the world changes, that much was obvious, but he did not understand the new things about this world. He would have to learn when he got out, he did have a fond memory of learning history so it could be fun.

A broken hinge, a smile, a death, a dream.

Someone new, how strong and beautiful a spirit she was. Drowning while laughing was not the most comfortable, but it was the best in a while. A strong spirit indeed to take on the boss. 

A church, a nightmare, a van,  _ Yusuf _ .

* * *

“So there isn’t really a plan then,” Joe summed up. Andy slumped.

“No, we’re not sure who he works for or what, exactly, he wants. The variables make planning difficult,” Quynh started with a small frown. “We don’t know much but we do know that he has too many men to be working alone. He used to be CIA and isn’t afraid to use his training.”

Andy had her head on the table and Quynh looked like she wanted to join Andy. Which, understandable, this was a mess and the planes overhead were  _ not _ helping his thought process. Booker knocked back his drink with a sigh. 

“Not that I’m not  _ loving _ this conversation, the game is on and I wanna watch one more before we go out,” He ambled over to the armchair, switching channels, all while talking over his shoulder. Joe tried not to bristle, he hadn’t been here long enough for the dismissive French to grow on him but he wasn’t about to leave Nicolo in the depths longer to become chummy with the guy. Another plane sounded overhead and Joe took his dislike of Booker out on another plane. The plane kept flying, unhindered by the immortals' hate.

“I think I need some fresh air, I’ll be back soon,” Nile said, sliding out of her chair. Joe waved as she left, staring into the cup in front of him.

“We’ll move out in the morning, try and pin down Copley’s location,” Andy said, patting his arm as she went to check her axe collection. 

Planes flying overhead masked the sound of vans moving in. Booker smiled at a text he got, going back to yelling at the TV. An explosion had Booker, Quynh, and Joe out. Armored men grabbed the limp figures of Joe and Quynh before heading out. Andy ran as soon as she heard the noise but it was too late, Booker was still healing and the others were gone. Picking up her favorite labrys, Andy went to find Nile before searching the church.

* * *

Nicolo had done it, the hinges had rusted through and enough banging had them crumbling apart at his hands. An awful screech signaled the door to his prison giving way. A smile and he swam out of the hell hole he’d been trapped in. The depths made it hard to tell which way was up but Nicolo kept his eyes on the shrinking form of the tomb and pushed himself  _ away _ . 

The pressure hurt his ears but he kept moving, his Yusuf was in trouble so he  _ swam _ .

* * *

Joe woke with a groan, eyes snapping open to take in the bumpy sway and his limp sister. He nudged her with his foot, ignoring the men around them, she moans and shifts. He looks around then, taking in the number of men and the guns they have, the sway of the van they are in, and the sinking feeling in his gut. They have no way out, no weapons, no escape route, and are chained to the floor. Quynh sits up then, the look in her eyes showing she has learned what he has. A quirked eyebrow, a nod. They are in deep shit.

* * *

A gasp, air. Nicolo cries, he forgot just how  _ good _ air felt and how sweet it tasted as it traveled his body. Nicolo sees blue all around, the sea and the sky reflecting on one another perfectly. He floats for a moment, feeling sun and air on his skin for the first time in who-know-how long. The small break over, he looks to the sun, trying to get a bearing for where he should swim. The sun is high in the sky, a beacon to the east. Nicolo remembers being tossed off the coast of Britannia, the moment of sun before the splash of dark. 

He shakes off the memory as he follows the sun east, hopefully, there will be a boat near but, if Yusuf is in danger, he’ll swim forever to reach him. His limbs ached, not used to movement but he pushed through it. The sun was closer to the west now, he guessed sunset was a few hours away. 

A boat, a yell, a rope. Nicolo grabbed it and felt himself be pulled in. The deck was hard underneath him but it barely registered. Shadows danced in his vision as he heaved for breath but he stubbornly stayed awake, he had to get a heading. He groaned as he rolled over to see his savior. A woman stood over him with a frown pinching her face.

“Are you okay?”

“Parli Italiano?” Nicolo croaked, his native tongue coming easiest at the moment.

“Okay so I am going to assume that was Italian but I only speak English and Spanish, sorry,” The woman stated.

“ Mi spiace , my English is rusty. What port is closest to us?” Nicolo asked, shaking some of the water off of himself.

“Oh, uh sure thing. I mean, we’re about an hour out from the London port. I’m Lila by the way,” Lila said, rushing to help Nicolo sit up.

“Grazie, I am Nicolo. London would be wonderful. Do you happen to have a, ah, towel I could use?” He asked.

“Yeah, just a moment,” Lila rushed off to find one of the towels she kept on her boat before wrapping it around the man she had found at sea. “I’ll set course for London, I think I have some spare clothes that might fit.”

Off she went again, she knew she still had shit from her ex somewhere. While she went searching, Nicolo busied himself with toweling off as much as he could. Lila returned, clothes in hand before going to set the course back to land while Nicolo changed. Nicolo marveled at the clothes, a soft shirt without buttons and a pair of trousers that seemed easy enough to fight in the boots were a bit too tight but they would work for the mission. She even gave him a band to put his hair up.

“What can I do to repay you for your kindness?” Nicolo asked, striding to stand next to Lila.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s the right thing to do and I’ve been meaning to get rid of those clothes for a while. I was about to head in for the night anyway, you haven’t caused any trouble,” Lila rambled. Nicolo nodded, feigning agreement.

“If you do not mind me asking, what were you doing out here?”

“Oh, I catch fish for my local market but I also thought it was a pretty day to get away from other people for a while,” Lila said, adjusting the wheel a little to the west. “What about you?”   
  


“I got thrown into the sea awhile ago and I only just now got out because my other half needs me,” Nicolo said with a straight face.

“What?”

“Enjoying the water, the boat I was on hadn’t realized I wasn’t back on the deck before it left the area. My boyfriend is probably worrying about me,” Nicolo lied.

“Ah, well we have about 45 minutes until we are back on land, I have some sandwiches. I can imagine that that much swimming works up an appetite,” Lila said, grabbing the bag she had brought with snacks. They spent the next few minutes munching on the deck. Nicolo would swear he had never had a sandwich that tasted that good, it wasn’t Mama’s Italian cooking but it was a pretty good first meal.

Nicolo looked around, taking in the small boat, much smaller than what he was used to but he supposed that was one of the things that had changed while he had been gone. Lila chatted about the classes she was going to take in the fall and what her friends had been up to, the steady stream of words helped ground Nicolo in the fact that he was  _ out _ . The fact that she was speaking English also helped him rewrap his brain around the syllables and the new nuances to the language.

In the next half hour, Nicolo learned a lot about the new world without meaning too. There was this thing that let people communicate quickly called a phone and also mechanical horses called cars. He helped her pull into the port before turning to her.

“I really can not express how thankful I am to have your help in getting back to the mainland,” Nicolo said before darting out to hug her. “Stay safe.”

She gave him a stunned smile before holding out a slip of paper.

“My phone number, if you ever need a ride or a friend,” she shyly stated.

“Grazie, Lila,” With one last wave, he stepped out into London.

* * *

Joe woke again strapped to a table in a lab. He scanned the room, devoid of a doctor, with only one other occupant. Quynh. She seemed to still be out but leaving them together was a death sentence.

“Quynh, you up?”

“Sadly,” She answered with a groan

“Feelings mutual, I assure you,” Joe said, tugging on his restraints, the material was strong and tight, not getting out of them easily. “Know any good car ride songs?”

Quynh snorts but what better way to pass the time than singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall?

It gets them killed but it’s entertaining

* * *

Nicolo doesn’t understand this new place but he knows the old haunts of his family. He picks his way to the outskirts of London, searching for the clues only they know to pick up; a scratched tree, horse prints, anything that can be written off unless you know that this area is home to immortals. He follows what he knows and isn’t disappointed.

An old church, demolished and found out by the looks of it, but he sees no movement and the only people he sees are corpses so he walks in, staying low and keeping to the sides. He sweeps the perimeter and moves in, clearing the building before letting himself relax a fraction.

The building shows signs of a fight, except he  _ knows _ those axe marks. Everybody here was downed by Andromache, but she never goes alone unless there is no other option. Which means the others were taken. Fuck. Nicolo falls to his knees as flashes of his family in his place, drowning unendingly. He forces himself together, they need him.

He combs the church for a weapon he trusts himself to use. Knives are hidden into his clothing and his sword affixed to his hip. The familiar weight settles him enough to  _ think _ . He does not know how to use modern weaponry which puts him at a disadvantage, he didn’t know what he would be up against, but he had years of muscle memory and a drive to find his beloved, he would not fail.

A bow and a quiver of arrows made it onto him as he left the safe-house following the marks of a car. Whether it belongs to friend or foe is of no consequence, they will both lead him to Yusuf.

He wanders as far as he can on foot, continuing to follow the tracks laid out for him. He eventually finds a gate covered in greenery, not knowing what is on the other side, he decides to set up camp there. Sleeping on grass is out of date but it reminds him of his first years with Yusuf so he falls asleep with a small smile painting his face. He dreams.

A wound, a song, a betrayal. 

Nicolo gasps awake trying to filter through the information he found. Boss isn’t healing, a lab in a building he can probably find and the blond is planning a setup. Fuck, does he find Yusuf alone or does he warn the others? _ Yusuf always complained that I was dramatic _ , Nicolo thinks wryly, picking his way back to London proper.

* * *

Joe and Quynh were distracting themselves by being as annoying as possible. It wasn’t really good for their health but it was amusing to watch as every guard and doctor slowly went insane.

* * *

The trek to the tall building from his dreams was long but a good stretch for Nicolo’s legs. He stared up at the glass monstrosity, thinking of how to get to the lab, he knew it was a higher floor but he didn’t know exactly which floor the labs were on.

Luckily for him, a car pulled up next to him, spitting the new person and a man he did not know. They didn’t seem to notice him so he followed them in. 

“How many shooters on-site?” The new one was asking.

“At least 30. Their boss, Keane, is ex-special forces.” The unknown said.

“Wait, who the hell are you?” She asked training her weapon on Nicolo.

“Ah, introductions yes, I am Nicolo, you may have dreamed of me. I was drowning unendingly a few days ago,” Nicolo said, shifting his weapons to hold out his hand. “Yusuf is in danger and the coffin finally gave way yesterday, so I came to get him.”

“Holy shit, I’m Nile,” Nile said, gun slipping back into its holster to take Nicolo’s hand.

“How many of you are there?” The guy asks, looking very tired.

“Ah, well there is now six though I’m not sure if Andy counts anymore,” Nicolo says, moving to reposition one of his knives. “Oh, Nile I thought I should tell you that you fought the boss well, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone hold up against her that well the first time.”

“Oh, thanks. That's Copley, he has a way for us to get inside,” Nile explained, pointing to Copley before gesturing to the elevator.

“I’m not sure how you’ll hold up to bullets,” Copley said, sending a pointed look to the sword and knives Nicolo had strapped to his body.

“I do not know how to use modern weaponry but I do have years of experience with blades,” Nicolo retorted. He had become quite adept at throwing knives some hundred years after becoming immortal. Nile huffed a laugh behind him.

“Well, even if he gets gunned down, he’ll get right back up,”

“Alright, the private labs are on the 15th floor, good luck.” Copley sighed, opening the elevator for them. Nile gave him a nod as the doors closed.

“Are you ok?” Nicolo asked softly, seeing how pale Nile looked.

“Yeah, I just hate that we have to take lives to help others,” Nile explained with a small frown.

“Understandable, I am not sure what you have heard of me but I was always the one who voted for as little violence and death as possible. Humans can be vile but that does not mean they automatically deserve death. Though I’m sure if you asked Andy she’d regal you with the times Joe was hurt and I lost that control. He is my weakness as I am his,” Nicolo rambled, trying to lighten Nile’s mood. A small laugh and weak smile told him it’s worked. Nile went to say something but the elevator dinged. 

“Ready?” He asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” She answered before stepping out, Nicolo following close behind.

The element of surprise lasted about half a minute before Nicolo was cutting down anyone in his path. The bullets took about half a second to get used to before he was working in tandem with Nile. 

Each took turns being shield or sword. Darting out to attack and falling back to protect in a dance that came naturally to them. Nile with a gun was a force to be reckoned with, she didn’t hesitate with the trigger and barely blinked at the damage she sustained while moving. Nicolo moved with the grace of a dancer, his sword an extension of him, pausing for only moments to throw a knife into one guy's eye before rolling and cutting a man down while grabbing the knife again.

The pristine white walls and windows were stained with blood, men falling left, right, and center to the two. Nile briefly mourned her jacket, ruined by bullet holes and blood before moving to clear the next hall. Nicolo took a moment to make sure every man that was down was dead before turning and following Nile, a trail of blood and viscera dripping from his sword. Bloody footprints left a trail to Nile easily followed.

Nile and Nicolo set up a good routine, Nicolo would throw knives and slay the enemy and Nile would cover him as he collected the knives. Nicolo was used to being the tank, the front liner in a fight and fell back into the role easily enough. Nile was new, still not quite used to being hit, and continuing to move so Nicolo made sure he was the one getting hit the most, used to fighting while his body healed itself. Eventually, the number of guards dwindled and the lab doors were in sight. 

A scream pierced the air and Nicolo was throwing a knife through the open door without a thought. He knew that scream, if his beloved was in pain enough to scream then the person causing it had forfeited their life. Nicolo stood there, chest heaving and blood dripping down his ruined clothing. Nile was right behind him taking in the avenging angel and the dead doctor, the others too surprised to talk.

“Nicolo, mia vita?” Joe asked, voice breaking. He had only ever seen one person throw knives so well and even hidden under the blood, he would recognize his love anywhere.

“Ciao amore mio,” Nicolo said, a soft smile offsetting the blood painted on and sluggishly flowing off of him.

“How’d, how’d you even get here?” Andy asked, just as flabbergasted. 

“Yusuf needed saving, also water rusted the hinges enough to break,” Nicolo explained with a shrug, moving to start unstrapping Yusuf, Quynh, and Andy. He paused looking to Booker with a small frown before punching him hard enough to briefly break his nose. 

“I deserved that one didn’t I,” Booker mumbled. He got a chorus of agreements from everyone in the room.

“I can not say I do not understand your pain but that does not lessen the blow you have wrought on the family,” Nicolo said, helping Booker out of the bindings holding him down.

As soon as Joe was fully free he was all over Nicolo, ignoring the gore in favor of touching the love of his long life for the first time in nearly 500 years. Nicolo pressed their foreheads together and breathed the same air for a few moments, softly swaying to a tune only they could hear. Nicolo gave Joe a quick kiss, pulling away with a nip at Yusuf’s lower lip.

“ Continueremo più tardi,” He whispered for Yusuf’s ears only. Yusuf let out an almost inaudible whine at that but nodded and let Nicolo pull away from him.

“We took out most of the guards on the way here but Merrick is still out there,” Nile stated, pulling everyone back to the present.

“Do we know where he might be?” Quyhn asked.

“Penthouse, pretentious asshole is always in the penthouse,” Nile said. “Also one of the guards spilled.”

The penthouse was ridiculously easy to break into and even easier to kill everyone in there before blowing the whole place up. The team drove off right as policemen got to the scene of the crime, the fire glowing in the rearview mirror. Andy was driving with Booker in passenger, Nicolo was in Joe’s lap, giving Nile and Quyhn the rest of the back seat.

They ended up sending Booker off for twenty years to realize that he had never been alone, with mandatory check-ins every month. After that was said and done, Andy sent Nicolo and Joe off to Malta stating that she didn’t want to hear the reacquaintance. Quynh had laughed before making them promise to meet up in a month. 

Joe led Nicolo to the bathroom in their little cottage in Malta taking his time to undress Nicolo, smoothing his hands down all the freshly exposed skin in front of him as steam curled around them. Nicolo undressed Joe with the same reverence before pulling him under the spray of water.

“Help me get the blood out of my hair, beloved? I don’t think I got it all with that rinse down.” Nicolo asked, turning his back to Joe. Joe hummed and picked up the shampoo, scrubbing Nicolo’s hair and gently detangling knots and dissolving dried blood. Nicolo sighed, sinking into the feeling of Yusuf’s hands in his hair. Once it was washed they took turns gently washing the other. After drying each other off they collapsed into bed together.

Nicolo traced imaginary patterns into Yusuf’s chest before surging up to kiss him. Nicolo settled himself above the other, kissing him with all the passion he had been missing these past 500 years. Yusuf melted into it, letting Nicolo take care of him.

“Ah, there, hah, they made this thing called lube, fuuck, it helps like that oil we, oh shit, used to use,” Joe panted as Nicolo trailed kisses and bite marks over Joe’s neck and chest.

“Oh yeah, you have any?” Nicky asked, hair framing his face as he looked back up at Joe.

“Yeah, in the, in the drawer there,” Joe said, flapping a hand at the aforementioned drawer.

Nicolo grabbed it and poured some into his hand, warming it up as he spread it over his fingers. He slowly pushed a finger in, living for the punched out moan Joe gave him. Nicolo took his time teasing as many noises as he could out of his partner as he stretched him.

“Come on please, Nico please, I need you,” Joe begged, hands fisting the sheets as he writhed under Nicolo. Nicolo looked just a wrecked, hair falling into his flushed face as he watched his heart beg for him.

“Alright, baby,” Nicolo said before lining himself up and sinking in slowly, a shaky moan leaving his throat as he sunk into the tight heat of his lover. Neither lasted long, having been abstinent for 500 years but the closeness, the feeling of being one, was fulfilled for a short while.

In the afterglow they slid into the sleeping position each had been craving for centuries, Joe wrapped around his soul with Nicolo clutching the arm around him. He tugged the hand closer and kissed the knuckles.

“Goodnight, habibi. I’ll be right here in the morning,” Nicolo said. Joe pressed a kiss to the base of Nicolo’s neck before slipping into sleep


	2. Lila, as requested

It had taken a while to get Nicolo caught up to date on things, and even that was just enough to look eccentric and not insane, but he felt more secure in this new world with his family by his side.

This is not to say he was doing _ well _ , he woke up gasping for air more times than not and had sobbed when hearing about the invention of a shower, not having to be in a tub of water was a blessing in and of itself. He and Joe were attached at the hip, both leaning into the comfort the other gave freely. 

It was about a month into his new freedom that he remembered a scrawled number of digits that he could use to talk to his savior. After pestering Andy into getting him a phone and Nile into teaching him how to use it, he dialed the number on the slip of paper.

“Hello,” Came a wary voice that he recognized.

“Lila, it’s Nicolo, I just got a new phone, so I thought I’d make sure I had your number in my contacts,” Nicolo replied, trying to rein in his excitement about this whole thing, he’d never have to wait for a letter with bated breath to know his family was safe.

“Oh, yeah. I was about to start worrying about you and your boyfriend. Are you guys ok, I can imagine that losing you in the middle of the sea was nerve-wracking,” Lila said, tone perking up.

“Oh, yes, he was quite worried about me. Keeps mothering me, even now that I’m safe. It’s nice though, to see how much he cares, no matter how much I complain that I can’t even  _ pee _ alone,” Nicolo grumbled. “I love him and am glad to know that we are both safe, but he won’t even let me do the dishes! Because  _ ‘you went through something traumatic involving water, I won’t let you touch water more than necessary’ _ I mean yeah, it was scary, but I want to be able to wash my hands without him fretting over my health.”

A snort of laughter came out a little staticky over the phone as Lila doubled over laughing.

“Poor baby, but now I feel like I  _ have _ to meet prince charming,” Lila said, still giggling.

“I was actually calling to ask if you wanted to come over for dinner in a few days,” Nicolo said, moving to put his phone between his shoulder and ear while he cooked tonight's meal. “Momma raised a gentleman and you haven’t tasted authentic Italian food until I’ve made you Momma’s  Trofie a la Genovese with our homemade pesto.”

“I’d be delighted to, but you don’t need to do anything,”

“Nonsense, I’m making the food anyway, you being here just means that Joe can’t complain about the abundance of leftovers my food provides,” Nicolo said, waving a hand, despite Lila not being able to see it.

“Well, how can I say no?” Lila sighed, a delighted smile lighting up her face. Nicolo laughed before asking about what day and time would work best, rattling off their current address on the outskirts of London.

“Well, I’ll be there. I’ve apparently never had Italian food, something that must be rectified,” Lila deadpanned before hanging up.

“Joe, my new friend, is coming over for dinner in a couple of days. You’ll love her, she’s so sweet, she gave me a ride to London, and we chatted about her garbage ex,” Nicolo yelled into the small cottage.

“You wanted to reward her by cooking for her, didn’t you,” Joe said with a knowing smirk from where he was drying dishes in the kitchen.

“She’s too nice. She refused to accept anything. And my food is a reward itself, Yusuf,” Nicolo huffed before dissolving into giggles. 

The day that Lila was supposed to come over, Nicolo was a mess. Not that many could tell, but Joe knew this man better than he knew himself and he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Nicolo was nervous. He desperately wanted his first friend in over 500 years to like Joe and his little home.

The kitchen had always been a shared domain for them, a way to bond and relax together. Nicolo was always in charge of Italian meals, as Joe was in charge of his mother’s recipes, but they had perfected the dance of preparing food together almost a thousand years ago. Soft music wafted around them as they twirled and spun around each other, switching between pots and cutting boards, grabbing spices, and plucking ingredients up. Nicolo hummed the tune of the jazz that played, nerves settling as he cooked as his mother had shown him, all those lifetimes ago.

Joe set the table as Nicolo went to find one of his favorite red wines he knew Joe hoarded. As Nicolo swayed back into the dining room, a knock sounded at the door. Nicolo set the wine down and moved to open the door for his friend.

"Lila, come in, come in, I just finished the cooking and Joe set the table. Here, I'll take your coat, go get comfy," Nicolo said, ushering Lila into his house. Lila looked a little startled at the Italian before giving her jacket over and following the sound of laughter.

"Don't scare the poor girl, hayati," Joe called out, giving a commiserating look to their guest. "You must be Lila, Nicolo kept gushing about his new friend. I'd say I was jealous except we've been together too long for such things. I need to thank you, though. I don't know what I would have done if I lost him."

"It's nice to meet you too, but you don't need to thank me. You guys have such a lovely home," Lila said earnestly.

"Enough standing around chatting, I made food and I want to eat it," Nicolo said, bringing out the food he and Joe had spent all afternoon making. "Now, Lila, this is a meal my mother taught me to make so you know it's authentic."

Joe just chuckled, pouring wine and passing it out while Nicolo portioned out meals for the table. Lila dug in with a flourish, immediately giving Nicolo compliments for the hard work he put into such a delicious meal. Conversation flowed easily, Lila talked about how her school work was coming and how her fish market was booming recently. Joe made many inappropriate jokes that had the whole table roaring with laughter, Nicolo surprising Lila with his sharp wit and slightly dark humor. The whole evening was a little bubble of happiness and comfort as Nicolo regaled Lila with modified stories of his hometown, Joe adding commentary. They waved goodbye to Lila, making her promise to visit and assuring her she'd always have a spot at their table when she had to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little thing I created after so much vocalization for more Lila. I just wanted some fluff for these guys. This is defiantly over but I had a lot of fun creating this

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone on the Gay Guard who beta'd my work! Hope everyone liked this. I'm down to talk TOG in the comments
> 
> Title is from My Heart is Buried in Venice by Rick Montgomery
> 
> I used google translate so this might be wrong but,
> 
> Grazie, caro - thank you, dear  
> Parli Italiano - Do you speak Italian  
> Mi spiace - my apologies/sorry  
> Mia vita - my life  
> Amore Mio - my love  
> Continueremo più tardi - We'll continue this later


End file.
